Mother Charged Over Obese Son

[dankai]

Let's start the discussion. Should the government have the authority to do this?


A S.C. mother of a 500lb obese teenage son is charged with felony neglet...


Watch the video of the exclusive interview:
http://www.comcast.net/video/mother-charged-over-obese-son/1163687285/Comcast/1163666501/

[stomach]

It needs someone to step in as this is as bad as any other kind of neglect or abuse. Her son may end up with health problems for life, which may also be very short. We're all quick to condemn those who starve their children but this is just as bad even though the effects may take a lot longer to show.

[ronisron]

How about educating the family through some counselling? How to eat a proper, healthy, balanced diet, the benefits of exercise, etc.

[avaruus]

the mother did not invent carbohydrates.

[stomach]

What you've done there is displayed some common sense. It must be that when you get to a certain size it ceases to be your own fault and instead becomes the fault of the companies who manufacture the food, because of course they come round to your house and force feed you.

This woman will no doubt be one of those people who believe the above and will refuse to take any blame or shoulder any responsibility for what has happened. She's probably spent the last 10 years telling her son that salad, vegetables and fruit aren't 'mans food'.

[pri01]

If they prosecute 1 mother then doesn't this law apply to all parents of obese kids? They can't just target 1 and not others. The law is meant to apply to everyone isn't it?

[dankai]

If they prosecute 1 mother then doesn't this law apply to all parents of obese kids? They can't just target 1 and not others. The law is meant to apply to everyone isn't it?

This is what frightens me. Where is the line drawn? How heavy must a person/child be for the authorities to arrest a parent? What will become the definition of felony neglet?

Many people still don't understand the detriment of eating fast food, drinking soda, etc. Most people, I would venture the risk of saying, are still hypnotised by television ads/radio ads/newspaper ads put out by these corporations whose job it is to get that $1 out of your pocket and into theirs. Fast food = immediate inexpense + immediate full belly. Most people fail to research. Ignorance may be bliss, but I believe it's no defense.

[unusual_suspect]

This is what frightens me. Where is the line drawn? How heavy must a person/child be for the authorities to arrest a parent? What will become the definition of felony neglet?

.

It scares me too.

[decim]

Your are over 200 lbs you are under arrest, for gross obesity, please proceed to the somali thread for amputation.

[skyfish]

It seems to me that the state is finding as many ways as possible to take ownership of children. "This parent is too stupid." "This child is too fat."
"This child is too thin." "This child is touching himself in class." "This child is depressed."

Not long before "This parent is too caring - smothering is an act of abuse."
"This parent is overly concerend with their child's grades - too much pressure is an act of abuse." Where will it stop?

[ritchs]

This is what frightens me. Where is the line drawn? How heavy must a person/child be for the authorities to arrest a parent? What will become the definition of felony neglet?



Not only that, but where does it end? Children who get bad grades, poor hygiene, not participating enough in ?, wear thrift shop clothes, cussing, where will the next line be drawn after this 'test case' We're just seeing the tip of an iceberg here folks.

[dankai]

Not only that, but where does it end? Children who get bad grades, poor hygiene, not participating enough in ?, wear thrift shop clothes, cussing, where will the next line be drawn after this 'test case' We're just seeing the tip of an iceberg here folks.

Exactly. We, as a people, permit this mostly because it's someone else and "not me" (sarcastic tone)...until it is. But then it's too late. The only joy I get out of life during my daily activities anymore is seeing the careless happiness that radiates from my two daughter's faces. I see no joy in life outside of that. That's what keeps me going.

Until the day "they" come.

And I know "they" will.

Peace and love to all of you.

[hawk]

Well if the mother sued the shit out of the state for this becuz in short its everyone's fault,if you really think about it. so everyone should share the blame.
doesn't matter the kid is the one who suffers.

[deem]

I should imagine the kid is sufferig even more because of whats being done to his mum, he'l have the guilt of feeling like it's his fault. Social services dont give a shit, there are better ways of dealing with this sort of thing.

[curtaincat]

'They' want to take the children off the parents. There is an ulterior motive, just don't know exactly what.:confused:

[amandaooo]

I viewed a programme the other evening on one of the terrestrial channels (can't recall which one) where children are being given gastric bypass surgery. The documentary showed two girls under the age of fifteen - one having a gastric bypass and the other the band.

The absolute and outright abuse the parent (/s - no show of them really) on the children was staggering. The knowledge was clearly there. After one poor girls bypass (which in my opinion was not needed - she was nineteen stone and only required to eat less and excercise more and have some self-esteem counselling) her mother pureed her - get this - KFC in a bucket.

I watched with growing horror and I am sorry to say - humour - as it appeared to be a parody and was turning into a black comedy.

So; the woman knew all the right foods to feed her child and she never did it. That constitutes abuse.

Putting that child into care and subjecting her/him to more abuse in a system that does not work is not the answer either.

I was thinking that instead of Bypass surgeries (which should be made illegal since the band came into place - this is an outrage in and of itself), the surgeons (who will need a cut of the action so to speak) - go into allegiance with "Fat camps". If the children leave without needing surgery the "doctors" get a referral fee.

[branjo]

Yes she is accountable.

I would say the mother is accountable for feeding her child crap and in large quantities. She hasn't got a leg to stand on sorry.

The point is if that kid stays with her, he will getting bigger and die.

I say the kid in question is far better of with the state, and it does take a lot for me to say that, but that kid has no life whatsoever waiting for him or her, absolutely nothing to look forward too, no job except an affirmative action charity job, no chance of getting a girlfriend and lets be honest, what else does a 15 year old boy think about but girls? well he couldn't even if he wanted too, so more depression and more McDonalds bought by his caring mother, sorry bullshit.

This is not an "Us vs Them" situation, no matter what era of humanity you look at, if you can't look after your kids someone else will do it for you, this is nothing new by any means.

To me this kid is addicted to food, and the enabler of that addiction is the Mother. I don't care how many hours she works because that seemed to be her only excuse, it may not be 100% her direct conscious fault, but for f*** sake, if that kid were to drop dead from a heat attack, respiratory failure or just have a simple fall and died, every single person that says she is not to blame would be saying the exact opposite.

She is to blame, the only reason she has two Lawyers with her, is because they will make their careers with this case.

She doesn't deserve jail time for being an idiot, but that kid deserves a life, her kind of love he is better of without.

Cruel to be kind, sorry if that offends anyone